Fight The Struggle Only By Enduring
by SlowAnonymous
Summary: After stopping Dr. Eggman away from the city, they've fallen into a dull-confusing grey world. Sonic and Tails struggle along it and clueless mysteries at them. Watch out! Someone wants their will for insane needs and it's not the mad doctor.
1. Odd, Yet It Did

**Disclaimer:- Anything of written, read or typed in this section. Do not belong to me. They are rightfully infringed and legally copyrighted by the company owners of SEGA® Such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles 'Tails' Prower, Dr. Ivo 'Eggman' Robotnik and anything respectfully infringed and related to the legal company owner. I apologize if any legal rights of policy had been trespassed and I will rightfully amend it according to policies. Only the story uploaded by me, is by me aside from anything related to the copyright legal owners.**

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><p><em>Live the live to the fullest,<em>

_But dare not think death as frightening,_

_It is to be, eternity is but insanity,_

_Simply is reality yet seen complexly in dreams,_

_So speaks the beings, but not the person who fought._

Morning afternoon sleepily wakes the greenly forest, from a bird eye view it would seem like a tide of green ocean sweeping. Of course, it was just after a mildly quick and soothing shower of rain down pouring around its coasting borders, and thereafter the clouds curtain away as it reveal the sun shining. Though an aftermath of a brief nature, the day sadly struck from immediate chaos.

"Insolent-rodent! You'll not make a mess of my plans!" roared a grumpy mad scientist known as "Dr. Ivo Robotnik".

**SMASH! CRACK!**

A large bulky-oval designed humanoid-mech from elbow to knee joints as are its hands and rolling round-legs smashed through the walls of the forest. A mad doctor sits from within his floating pod embedded together with his second-join armour.

"Hold still rodent!" grunted the doctor as he sweeps his hands about madly across his panel.

The mech swung its arm towards a speedy blue blur the doctor so agitatedly despised and a thorn almost always on his plans including his ambition. Right as the round-hand swipes across, the blue blur gained further speed a meters away from him, teasing him as he continues to swipe at him as though he is entertaining himself of the deathly chasing-thrill.

"Graaagghhh!" roared the infuriated doctor, "Stop toying with me hedgehog!" he grunted in disarray of his sanity in the tease-insulting action.

As the chase rode on, the route of the blue blur's end is about to stop as beyond him are the cliff's edge leading anyone to their falling deaths at an ocean. With the approach towards the end nears, the blue blur sped forwards in thunderous sonic boom speed as he immediately stops at the edge of the cliff.

"Hah! Nowhere to run now fool!" the doctor grinned insanely as he boosts his acceleration and raised back high of the mech's arm.

The mech's legs rumbled heavy roaring noise like torn earth as it charged right at the blue-furred hedgehog. Unnerved or shaken by the death-frightening charger and pulled a grin that seemed confident. The figure snapped his white-gloved finger, the doctor could not hear the noise but overconfidently believed he surrendered and took his chance.

**WHAM!**

A large log hammered at the back of the mech's torso right at the centre, sending it overhaul off the ground and flip right over the hedgehog and down the cliff. The poor doctor had fallen into a trap and forced him to surrender his promising creation. Ejecting despairingly with his pod trotting away towards the edges of shore to his base's location.

"It's not over yet rodent! You'll pay Sonic the Hedgehog!" the doctor grumpily roared away as the blue figure stood at the edge of the cliff retaining with his grin.

The hedgehog mocked him once more and stick his tongue out cheekily, it only returned with a distant defeated roar as the doctor fade away from sight.

"Heh! Give us a challenge Eggman, you're getting lame." Sonic the Hedgehog, confidently added with a mockery state of his figured-shape look of an egg.

The famous Mobian's Hero and worlds fastest blue-furred hedgehog alive, clearly confident and thrilled in taking any challenge with his cocky and playful attitude.

"Sonic!" a distant child-like voice called out to him.

Sonic turned to the voice from the sky at a yellow-gold figure at the skies, his tail spun at a blurring speed as he descent to his front steadily. With a thud of his shoes onto the ground he posed a stern salute in front of him and a cheerful smile.

"Tails reporting for duty sir!" Miles 'Tails' Prower, playfully said to him.

A name he's not fond of oppositely of his given nickname from the 'Blue Blur'. A yellow-gold fox with twin-tails, who was pushed around and looked downed upon others as a 'freak' of a nature, and now stronger and courageous as he joins adventures with his friend. Otherwise best friend knowing full well he's not the only 'freak'.

"Geez! Don't be so formal bro'!" Sonic retorted familiarly, pulling his friend around his neck with an arm to his side and 'attacked' his hair.

"Woah! Haha! Cut it out Sonic!" Tails cried, while still being wrapped from Sonic's playful wrestle.

"Not a second off bro'!" Sonic returned while Tails struggle to get off his hold.

"Don't wanna' warn you! There's water below!" Tails stated.

"Yikes!" Sonic yipped fearfully immediately hold off Tails and stepped away from the cliff's edge.

"Hahaha! You should see the look on your face!" Tails said, and spins his twin-tails into a twirling whirlpool and gain height quickly.

"First to reach the plane gets to eat big!" Tails cheekily make his escape before sticking out his tongue and fly away.

Sonic grinned accepting the challenge, before he parts, he watched as Tails flies over the forest towards their transport. With the direction in mind, he smirked in anticipation and with just a blink, he's gone from the cliff with a trail of gushing winds blasting right through the forest. Blasting through blurring greens of forest and their barks acting as walls of brown, Sonic had familiarised with devastating speed that average persons can't keep up or track with. While Tails, flew the skies at similar speed with Sonic's 333mph or more. Using his adventures and days of learning to keep up with him, had earned vigorous stamina and exceptional technique in ways of speed. As both reach to a tied-distance, they have and had been as they had before done this. The thrill to challenge and fight for freedom, in this case however, it's more of a brotherhood spare time.

"Nyaaah~" Tails cheekily pulled a raspberry at Sonic and boosted himself from air as he heaved his legs up to his waist, waiting for the right height and moment while building up energy to his foot and suctioning air with his twin-tails. He soared high and felt the gush of air gathering in a vacuum to his twin-tails and zapped adrenaline into his body,

**FZZZT!-SNAP!**

he pushed off his legs straight with his twin-tails at his hind turned into jet-like flames only its not on fire. Like a flying or soaring yellow-gold laser piercing, the skies turning puffy clouds with either holes or scattered about, leaving Sonic at ground miles beyond him towards the goal.

"Heh! Nice move!" Sonic commented, impressed but wasn't deterred.

"My turn!" he said to himself, sliding and braking himself as the ground shriek from the soles of his shoes.

Right as he stops, he presses and rests his fingers to the ground as all ten steadied and root to the ground. He positioned one leg straightened to the back and hinged his knees above ground as the other knee rest below his waist while keeping his body cool and ready. His foot rests and arch along with his bents of his body, pressure builds and rise up as energy gather through and forth from his fingers. Instinctively he senses the vibration in his fingers, toes and heart, waiting for the heat of the moment and strike to his attempted direction.

"Here!" He began, palms arched up and body surged with sonic vibration gathered, "We!" thrilled and blasting with adrenaline rushing to his heart, soul and mind, "Go!"

**KRACK-BOOM!**

Like a loud thunder striking the ground the entire forest were scrambled, as sound was broken. Like a blue-light separating the forest and almost phasing through objects, he caught up and once again at tie-distance with Tails.

However, at their blinding-invisible phasing-speeds, ahead was a blurry-coloured world. Until suddenly two portals split open from thin air one from air and the other on ground as they unwillingly shot themselves into the unknowns.

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><p>"Urrrggghhh…" Sonic groaned, dazed and unconscious after somewhat being whirled or 'smacking' into the portal at light-speed.<p>

"What…? Where…? Man…" he began, rising off the ground, it didn't feel right.

"…" pinching his brows and readjusting his thoughts after another wild trip, it was not his first time and that's when he realised something amiss, "Tails!" snapping right into panic then his usual self.

"Where are ya' buddy? Speak up! Tails?" he yelled with his might while retaining his fears, sadly there was no voice nor returned, until he saw that the world isn't colours.

It was grey, everything was grey from tress, branches, soils, leaves, even the skies were but foggy greys and no sign of changing conditions such as a sun or moon as all blended to well to make out what is or was an object. He swiped away observing the world later and prioritize on finding his best two-tailed friend, otherwise to him, his brother. Such that the world is in grey colour it would be better and easier to look-out focus on a yellow-gold fox or figure and anything resembling to Tails. Scanning throughout his current position, there were no clues to his brother.

"Come on little bro' give me a signal, shout to me!" he uttered, almost deprived from his sanity especially how it affects him quickly in this grey world.

"Sonic!" a cry for his name echoed out, "Help me!" Sonic faced west, his friend dragged and tied by a somewhat grey-symbiotic creature holding Tails with its absurd stretched and joined fingers or talons around his body and hung below its belly.

"Tails!" Sonic shouted, "Sonic!" shrieked Tails while struggling from the symbiotic creature flying straight towards west.

"Hang on bud'! Keep shouting!" Sonic yelled instructively, following the flying symbiotic creature at the ground and looking at the 'sky' as it blended well along with the grey skies and hoping Tails would have the might and stamina for Sonic to hear and follow.

"Sonic! Help!" Tails yelled once more, the creature grew tired of his struggle and ceased Tails to shout, wrapping its symbiotic talons around his mouth like liquid ooze.

Tails struggled for air with the creature's symbiotic ooze choking around his neck. Sonic couldn't hear his voice, fearing the worse that he's harmed or hurt, and terrified if dead or killed. Pushing to his limits his legs had turned into an infinity-loop, speeding even further ahead than the creature. Estimating a precise strike, time and moment to spindash as high as possible, unknown to how far or how high the creature had flown.

'_Hang on bro'! Stay awake!' _Sonic focused intensively as the life of his brother remains unknown to him.

As the creature lay only meters behind and above Sonic, he jumped curled and into a ball and formed into a ricocheting or bouncing ball which could bruise or scar his flesh and fur when smacking as hard as he can onto the ground. Successfully, he remained in his form and this time into a spinning saw-blade and free the ooze unharmed around Tails and tear the creature to shreds. Another success with Tails falling down from the sky freed, but the creature had either disappeared or dissolved along with the 'sky' as Sonic uncurls off his form. Strangely not bruised or wounded despite hammering the ground and with no time to waste, Sonic skydived and loses his ascension. With the creature nowhere to be seen and hoped not to return, he focused onto Tails who is now falling limp and unconscious.

Arching his head towards Tails and keeping his legs, arms and body straight, falling a lot faster and tying his distance with Tails. Closing in he lunged and wrapped his arms around Tails limp body hoping to make a soft landing for Tails as he willingly sacrifice himself with his body the hard ground with his back. Plunging downwards like a falling rock and much to their demise, they fell much deeper diving off and onto the sides of the cliff's edge, and if it should get worse they may hit along the walls of the cliff itself.

Out of nowhere a large brown figure stood by the edge, his pointy-head arched up and followed the falling duo. Right as the moment of their fall were at the edge of the cliff, he lashed out his somewhat large hand that swooped and held the four feet of the duo. The figure held them with one large-hand, he seems unsure of their lives and left them there on air and hung at his hands till they move or emit life. Sonic still held his brother's body, air had not swirled about him nor gave signal of his descent. He flicked his eyes open and the world appears upside-down and seems to stop, doubting himself of being dead with the world still grey. Tails had remained unconscious with his eyes remained closed and twin-tails hung 'upwards', turning his head about and scanning his current position.

'_Huh?'_ Sonic looked 'below' him and it was heavy to look 'down', _'I can't get out of it… odd… it feels like a lot of fur.' _he traced the root of the 'binds' and it ended behind him.

Sonic arched his head to a side where the root lies, a brown fat or large tall figure seems to be alive as it heaved its belly, yet the binds are of fur. Worse of all, it had large, long and pointy-end claws similar to a bear's as are its foot with no toes. Similar claws were attached to his 'binds' and definitely a hand but no fingers as the claws attached on around its palms like a basic hand would be modified, but through natural means.

"Hello? Could you let us down on the ground?" Sonic called out to the figure behind him, "On your ground I mean." he added, hopefully that the figure would be a person rather than another predator.

There was no reply from the figure, but the binds seem to wrap a little tight and the world seems to spin around. Definitely however the ground appears or perhaps what seems to lay 'above' him. Slowly he 'ascents' to the ground, the 'binds' unwrap off him and Tails's foot. He too unwraps his arms as Tails roll to the side of his back on the ground, waking himself up and concludes that this is the ground and not in another messed-up unparallel-dimension although still stuck on a grey world.

"Tails!" Sonic snapped off and shook Tails awake gently, "Wake up Tails!" he called, placing a finger below Tails nose, he isn't breathing.

"Don't give up!" Sonic placed both of his hands on Tails's chest, pressing down on him, hoping and if for the better pray he gets up and breathes in air, or is there air at all?

A few presses, he places a finger below his nose and still wasn't breathing, undeterred he kept pressing, a little harder and careful of damaging the organs. Each presses slowly drained his faith, only to hope and struggle onwards for his little brother's life in this unfeeling world.

"Just…! Remember! I'm still your brother!" he remains pressing as his eyes slowly build up speckles of water to his corner while maintaining his courage and heart from sinking to the inevitable.

***Hacked Cough!***

"Yes!" Sonic ceased pressing Tails chest, sitting him up on the ground as he pats his brothers back.

***Hacked Cough!*** "Urrrgghh…" Tails groaned painfully as ticklish burns remains in his nose, throat, lungs and liver, he could feel his chest beating of his heart bumping about like a drum seemingly out of his chest 'in a sense'.

***Huff*** Sonic sighed in relieve, "How's the sky?" he asked gently and hid away his commotions.

***Cough!*** "Phew… really…" ***Brief breathing*** "Horrible." Tails finished, still coughing but slowly fading away.

"Heh! Take it easy bro', have a brake." Sonic stopped patting his back, he stood up and thanked whatever invisible force that brought his little brother to life, if he had to believe so either way.

"Thanks man!" Sonic complimented heartily and with a familiar signature thumbs-up to the brown-large figure or bear it seems.

The bear returned with a silent stern look of his narrow-shifty square eyes but held a thumbs-up possibly returning response of the compliment.

"What happened?" Tails asked, though he knew he has travelled into another dimension or world, it clearly makes no sense of its bland grey status, despite common forms of objects and shape peculiarly difficult to identify.

"Dunno', it lacks robots though." Sonic stated of his continuous endeavour against the mad scientist's obscure-effective robot.

"Heh! I can agree with that." Tails rekindled cheerfully and rising himself off the ground, even he felt something's wrong with it.

The bear snapped his 'fingers', gaining the duo's attention to him. He waved towards them out as though to follow him.

"Who's he?" Tails momentarily puzzled for once of something that stands out off the grey world, while the bear had paced and walked east of the cliff's edge leaving them to decide.

"Let's just follow him, he'd help us." Sonic replied confidently of the bear's yet suspicious notoriety.

They both nod to each other and followed the unnamed bear, still holding small doubts as this could or may lead them to another trouble unexpected.

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><p>"Bleergh…" Sonic grunted in disgust as he looked around the endless greys.<p>

"What is it Sonic?" Tails concernedly asked while following beside his brother along with the bear.

"I don't think the worlds too blunt in colours here." Sonic joked though still puzzled how things work in this world.

"We could try using crayons and colour this world eh' Sonic?" Tails cheekily returned cutting over to his front and facing him while walking backwards.

"Heh, cute Tails… cute." Sonic commented, swiping his arms around Tails neck and ruffled his hair in a brief stop.

"Heheh." Tails giggled comfortably of his brother's knotting.

Sonic stopped a moment and closed his little brother to a hug, this surprised Tails and known something must have caught up on Sonic.

"Sonic?" Tails called out worriedly, slowly returning the hug back.

"Just… don't stop fighting…" Sonic murmured to his ears like a caring wind, "No matter what happens… don't stop fighting." Sonic added, right from the voice of his will and heart as he tightened gently of his hug.

"Heheh!" Tails returned, "No matter what happens we're there for each other even if one of us gone." Tails addition caught Sonic a little shocked, knowing little of his brother's maturity to the next.

"Besides," Tails nuzzled his head like a kitten purring on Sonic's chest, "I only remember you more than I remember anybody else." Tails finished, no tone of fear nor regret as though he knows and believes they'll still find each other should it happen.

"You got me there Tails, we'll be there like we have no matter what." thinking through of Tails own words got him off to think then his usual care-free person.

"Really?" though Tails know the answer he liked to hear of it from his brother.

"Hah! It's what we've been fighting for!" Sonic replied and ruffled Tails hair.

_They will not fear death,_

_Only separation._

"Woops!" Sonic released his hold on Tails.

"Eh?" Tails quizzed and adjusts his hair he favoured.

"Heh! Let's catch up on him." Sonic looked ahead as the bear appeared to shrink into a dot by a distance.

"Race ya' first!" Tails dashed ahead past Sonic.

The Blue Blur once again caught off guard twice, shaking his head and followed suite. Dashing alongside Tails hovering above ground but not any higher with Sonic right beside him and pulling the all too familiar thumbs-up.

**GWWWWAAAAARRRRGGGHHKKKK!**

A loud ear-piercing shriek came from the bear's front as they run and speed up towards him, though he helped them they don't know if he could fight.

"He's in trouble Sonic!" Tails alarmed and looked to Sonic.

"Let's tear'em! sick'em!" Sonic pulled a smirk and Tails returned it too.

Closing in towards the bear's position, they halted for a moment and faced the similar grey-symbiotic creature that caught Tails with it's grey ooze. With a good look, it appeared organic though seemed to be of ooze and a sort of pterodactyl-symbiotic head and wings, with a body and legs of a raccoon and entirely of grey.

"Watch out for the ooze Tails!" Sonic noted and Tails returned with a nod.

Before they were about to launch themselves at the creature, the bear ceased them from it as he lets out his large grizzly-furred arms out to his side.

"Woah!" Tails nearly bumped too close of the bear's elbow.

"What is it?" Sonic quizzed, wondering of his intentions and abrupt hold-up as he calmly looked at it.

The two looked back to the creature, it didn't attack but kept shrieking at them with its wings apart and legs in crouch position. Something moved from behind its leg, at first they assumed it was its tail in which it is not.

"Huh?" Sonic and Tails quizzed as they examined the peculiar form, hiding behind its leg.

The large creature shrieked and lowered its wing to the little form like a shield though not effective as it seems. The little one looked far out of relation to the larger creature. It held a similar colour of grey ooze and symbiotic form but different form and shape. Its paws and legs are like scales of dragons no talons however, while the body and head are of a deer. Their attention towards the little one frightened it, scurrying behind the legs of the creature with fear, causing the larger one to roar in defence like a warning.

"Heh…" Sonic raised and rubbed with a hand to the back of his head, "We should be more mindful next time… eheh…" he admitted, even they are persons though of different forms, they still protect what matters to them.

Tails stick his tongue out and admits it too, rubbing the back of his head, clearly of what Sonic said ashamed them a little. The bear let down his arms, assured they have understood. He walked forward and with a hand halted to the back of them and folding the other behind him.

"Hey?" Tails called out to him as he approached them with both arms folded behind his back and casually walk to them, trying to appear unthreatening.

The two watched as the large creature spreads its wings at him to frighten him of sorts. The bear stopped only a few inches away as though 'talking' or communicating with it. He stood still, the creature began to roar but he didn't back away. It started to lower its guard but still protecting the little one.

"Do you want to go to them?" the bear sounded, his voice slithers sternly and gently, much like a fighter's or warrior's stern might.

The two raised an eyebrow, his intentions mysterious. The creature stood up and the little one climbed onto the large one's shoulder seeming less threatened by him. They were more puzzled to how they 'talk' or 'speak' communicate in separated or unmatched language.

"I can bring you to them…" the bear started, "but only 'will' will judge onto you." he added and clamps his hands together to his front, one opened the other closed and supports the wrist of his open palm.

"If you allow me, know only that I heard their call and act upon your decision." the bear stated towards them, it seems they understood as the little one nuzzled onto the large one's neck.

The large one wrapped its wing to the little one like a cloak as the other fold to the sides. The bear nodded and bowed at them with the same pose of his hands. The two creatures nuzzled with each other, ignoring the bears action. Until he raised his claws to his side and high ready to launch at them.

"Wait!" Sonic retorted, the bear did not respond along to him and cut them down.

Their eyes shocked in fear, he had killed them. Or did he? Until sprays of glittering dusts burst and explode from them, reforming them into another form and with colours.

"We're going." A female-motherly voice spoke to him.

"Who are you?" another young female-cheeky voice asked him.

The dusts began to swirl and whirl together, forming into persons rather than creatures. Radiant as they are, one a mother and a daughter of feline green wolves, the little one hugged her mother's waist with the mother's hand to her back and their faces to the bear.

"I'm not important," he answered, "Go, before your will can be taken and trapped again." he finished and once more bowed with his hands posed as before and remained that way.

"Thank you." the mother carried her daughter onto her arms as she wrap her arm around her mother's neck and look to the bear.

"Bye bye!" the daughter cheekily said, the two slowly fade and waved their hands to them.

The bear had his head lowered and bowed, the two behind the bear waved back to them, swayed on the turntable of the event.

"Good luck!" Tails and Sonic said to them, still quizzed but clearly and they are definitely persons.

Gone, no longer visible nor seen in sight from their views and their voices too. The bear rose from his still pose, he placed and tapped with a hand to his backbone.

"Bleeeaaaarrrgggghhh..." he groaned to himself and stretched straight carefully.

The two walked to the side of the bear, many questions chiming in their minds though they had to take into the bear's current problem.

"Are you okay?" Tails asked stopping by his side-front.

The bear nodded, and the two could clarify that he is a bear but not the kind of Mobian bears usually seen.

"Where are we? And what happened back there?" Sonic wondered if the abnormality of the bear matches his experience and time here.

"I'll answer your questions, but night's arriving." he stated and raised shifts his back a little, "Though you don't feel the cold winds around or see the colours of the dark, it definitely takes effect within you." he added and arch his head down to them at his taller than a robotic, crocodile or cat's height and buff.

"If you say so, what are we gonna' do now?" Sonic could already feel cold to his flesh, no cold or winds tides at him, yet it tickles him and affects Tails too, rubbing with his palms.

"Up to you, I'm heading towards a shelter with enough room and space." the bear walked ahead to his shelter leaving the two like before to decide.

"Sonic…" Tails called to him, already shivering and had his hands to his shoulders and hugging his bushy twin-tails to his arms.

Again the effect starts to overpower their body, Sonic nodded to Tails and the two would rather not freeze and went about clueless in this confusing-dull grey world. They jogged off and followed at the bear's side, briefly warming themselves a little with the bear walking faster to his shelter.


	2. Dangerous Concepts In Mind

**Disclaimer:- Anything of written, read or typed in this section. Do not belong to me. They are rightfully infringed and legally copyrighted by the company owners of SEGA® Such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles 'Tails' Prower and anything respectfully infringed and related to the legal company owner. I apologize if any legal rights of policy had been trespassed and I will rightfully amend it according to policies. Only the story uploaded by me, is by me aside from anything related to the copyright legal owners.**

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><p><em>Walk the path and not with perception,<em>

_For invisible and unknowns placed upon it you will clash,_

_Wield your will and move united along it,_

_Should you tire then rest and don't give up nor surrender,_

_Thus you will understand by will and not with it._

It has come to realisation as sound emits off a waving grey flame upon piled logs and branches of what 'appears' to be wood. Strange as there are objects of its shape and function but no means to feel or contemplate as fire crackling on gathered wood. A hand held another log thick and solid it was thrown onto it.

**FHUWMP!**

The grey flame blasted and bursts a large. Yet again, no senses of warmth nor is it around the grey fire. A brown-large figure, grizzly and thick of fur sat by the grey flames as two a fox and a hedgehog camped by it. Though it was only the yellow-gold fox now, whom is shivering with his bushy twin-tails hugged with arms. He ears dropped low when the winds howl and tickle at his ears although not felt, it did effect and take place at him just as the fire work.

"Go ahead and warm yourself, just don't lure or tempt yourself by putting your hands in it." the bear spoke to the shivering fox and gives another log to the grey flame.

"Do things we're familiar of still work here?" the fox asked, spreading his hands to the grey fire but noted of its causative and tempting desire.

"Yes." the bear answered, scratching his palms and in between his neck with his claws that looked like talons.

"Gee…" the fox looked around, "It's gotta' be hard for you here huh?" it appears he's in some cave, jagged and bulky rocks tunnel about him, the bear and outside its large entrance to the grey world.

"Only if you think what works and not how it works." the bear replied.

The fox understood what he meant already. Still he finds it difficult for anything or anyone to reside here when you can't feel soil, air, fire or water. Nonetheless he appreciates that the elements still works. The fox turned towards the entrance, the hedgehog has been out rather long. Worrying did not help him nor contain the depravity of his sanity. Sure 'fetch some sticks' the hedgehog confidently boasts, obvious to the fox that the task he does won't be assuring.

"Is it alright I look outside for awhile?" the fox asked with his hands to his shoulders.

The bear nodded to him and the fox walked out only by the entrance. Any further could risk feeling the cold effects of night, although its grey of world and skies with no sense of preceding time. Blue sapphire eyes look across a tide of grey sea, some he could tell were forest, trees and rocks. Others however make a difficult impression and familiarity. What remains to question him is, where is anyone? or better yet, what happened to anyone?

'_Weird…'_ the fox thought, _'What's anyone got to do here anyway? How does anyone even know anyone here?'_ he curiously thought and remembered the recent ago incident.

It was a pair of creatures, then they turned and bursts into some starry being, later formed into feline wolves and after that they vanished with their thanks and byes. Supernatural or superstitious, these things are not his type to believe or think in. He was more onto science and evidential physical occurrence, such as covered-up accidents or a hidden-ploy and act. Then again he had stumbled against water-like creatures, golden rings afloat and absorb into bodies, then there's emeralds and triggered power-play.

***Sigh* **_'Does it get anymore unreal then this?' _the fox shook his head in grief.

His instincts starts to spark, a signal of someone's arrival he is familiar of. He smiled and returned back to the grey fire. Returning towards the grey flame slowly warmed him as he sat by it. A blue streak howled the caves with his sound-breaking speed and stood right beside the young fox.

"Got ya' the woods." the blue-furred hedgehog threw a bunch of grey sticks right by the stacked logs and what seems to be grey thick and long blank paper rest at his shoulder.

The bear didn't mind his manners and nodded. The hedgehog shuddered, and later he remembered of the paper on his shoulder. He pulled it and slapped the paper as though a blanket.

***Achoo*** the fox sneezed and sniffed wipe away his droplets from his nose with his white gloved hand.

Something feathered and rested around the shivering fox's fur, it was thick and soft like a blanket though he couldn't feel the material it surely kept him warm. He turned to the hedgehog who's now dusting his hands off, clearly he had placed and gave it to the fox.

"Thank Sonic." the fox sniffed and wrapped the blanket to his knees and chest.

"Don't catch a cold Tails." Sonic patted Tails's back when he sat down beside him.

"Mhm." Tails nodded.

The two lightened up in comfort a bit thanks to the bear's shelter and fireplace. The cold still fogs in the cave but not as much as it had outside. Sonic had wondered quizzically while he was looking at the brown grizzly large bear. He appeared familiar with his abnormal claws and blank eyes with no irises. While retaining what remains of a Mobian bear's body and ear apart from the muzzle as his was a bridged-muzzle than a round-muzzle. Of all his travels, he had worked alongside many friends and rivals whenever a plot against freedom occurred, even before he met Tails. Tails wasn't bothered of him, yet Sonic had in mind he wasn't ordinarily defenceless. Two shifty-narrow square eyes arched at the grey flame, at first he seemed to stare at them and he did not. His large body heaved in and out once with his shoulders lowered.

"So…" Sonic started, "What did you do back there?" that was no act and if it was, the two had experienced it from the mad scientist's cunning and schemes.

"Someone shouted, I listened then I looked for them." the bear answered irrelevantly to the cause.

"There's someone else other than us?" Sonic had went off the shelter just moments ago, not a single life could be found or perhaps it had something to do with the grey colours.

"Yes." the bear stated casually.

"Bad or good?" Sonic asked.

The bear went silent, then he lift and place a bundle of sticks gathered from Sonic and feed it to the flame. Sonic looked to Tails, he shrugged at his abrupt silence.

"Not important." the bear murmured, "What needs to be done is to stop 'him'." he finished and comb his beard from his bridged-muzzle chin.

"Okay then, what does or did 'he' do?" Sonic believes that the bear knows much since he had helped him and Tails up to sheltering and fireplace.

"Hmm…" the bear dragged his voice, "In a way, it's sort of like altering any will but threading and hurting a lot of will to his desire or satisfaction." he replied.

"Kinda' like dreaming right? Except he changes anyone and anything." Tails exclaimed, ironically he felt the same before about his twin-tails, but later found out things are not what it is compared to what's already near you.

"Yes." the bear replied.

"Have you stopped him?" Tails asked and pulled the blanket up to his head like a hood.

"No." the bear replied simply.

"Why not?" Sonic clearly could see the bear's hiding something otherwise it was his instincts operating.

The bear began to comb his beard again and Sonic found it annoying along his with abrupt silence. However the bear has been evasive. He then started to shake his head lightly in dismay. Either the bear is or was a madman or some delusional creature to the two watching him.

"My apologies." the bear began, "I'm not very good at talking so…" he looked to them, unclear about leaving the two to quiz of him.

"I'll block the entrance for now until it's 'day' or 'morning'." the bear stood up and walked off, before he heads there, "I'll get you two out off here, take some sleep if you will." and with that he showed his back to them at the opening and face outside the world.

He sat there with legs-crossed and hands posed as before when he met the two feline wolves, drifting himself to meditation it seems. The two left by the fireplace shuddered, his intention was stated but not his deed he wills to. Tails started to yawn, covering his mouth with his hand from a contagious habit.

"What do you think Sonic?" Tails thought the bear a little out-of-place.

"He's alright I guess, may as well help him to get off this world too." Sonic answered with a loose doubt as he stretched where he sat, tiredness weighing down on him.

***Yawn*** "Not worried he'll eat us?"** *Yawn* **Tails's eyelids started to weigh heavy, rubbing his eyelids while covering his mouth again.

"Pfft… we'll save the worries for tomorrow." Sonic placed his hands at the back of his head and rest at the ground, surprisingly he doesn't feel it as cold or dirty but solid or hard.

"Okay, goodnight Sonic." Tails had it for a day and slept on the ground by the grey flame.

"Night." Sonic replied before eyeing briefly towards the immovable bear by the entrance.

He shuddered and closed his eyelids. The two dosed off to sleep moments later, the grey flame died off too and with the bear's large figure still blocking the outside. Not entirely however, with a few swirls of cold and air function to keep them alive. Amidst amongst it however, something intents to disturb the two into their dreams.

* * *

><p><em>Sleep is a moments pleasant and twists,<em>

_Once you awake, don't frantic nor desire it,_

_Fall you will as you hold it and harm you,_

_Will yourself to understand from here and not there,_

_Neither dream and reality, talks to you as they only work._

Quiet, serene and more importantly free. Free from being a hero and free from unwanted needs of chaos. The blue hedgehog rested on the hill with his head on the grassy plains and eyes to the skies. Puffy clouds and weaving strands strode amongst the blue skies like paint. He smelled the air and joyfully describes the scent in his mind. A strong wind gush through the plains, leaves pluck itself off from trees and fly along the wind. They danced in front of his emerald eyes like a moments festival. A smile curved from his lips, familiar with them as though he had talked with them. The air howled and the dancing wind and leaves went away from him, it made him follow as though answering the call of the wind.

He rose up from the grassy plains and dusted his knees and hands. He grew excited and mixed with joy watching them dance towards a direction he known of. They flew and blew high up into the air as the wind comes to end. The dance had ended, and he began to jog where they had danced. Soon he blasted through them with blurring speed and the leaves whirl and swirl away at the wake of his trail. It only took seconds from running along the simple edge of the plains towards the familiar view he recants.

A clean-plain sand coasts alongside a tide of sleepy-waves slap amongst the boarder of it, two valley coats around the sea into a large reservoir and arch high with a bridge connected to them. The bridge below opened itself up, welcoming anyone in and out from sea. The sight is enchanting of harmony in nature as well as restricting from overpowering the other elements.

**TOO! TOO!**

A quick chime like a steamboat's horn. He looked along the reservoir and found a steamboat as it is. Simply floating along the sea with someone on it. Three people were aboard it and were waving to him with a friendly smile. He returned back with a wave and the same happy smile he had before he got here. They don't seem to be fishing and simply enjoying the tide of the large reservoir. Yet again it is quiet, harmonious, calm and serene. He prepped down at the sands, looking across below the bridge in between the two valleys. Endless sea beyond it, and although he fears water, he still felt better with them amongst the elements. Funny he thinks, yet he admitted it well despite his pride.

"Huh?" he startled as he caught a familiar nemesis right by the side of the reservoir along the sands.

'_Eggman?' _rarely had he seen the tyrant outside of his headquarters with his schemes and ambition planned there.

Looking at him again, he had a fisherman's hat and vest on with a fishing rod at his hands. He started to chuckle as his appearance was way too bloated with his vest hanging on air by his waist. Though, is he up to something he thought. Eggman began to reel in his rod, intense and for once he seems to actually enjoy the contest against the fish apart from chaos. The rod bent against the pull and weight of the fish, almost as though about to snap. Eggman stood up from his foldable chair with his foot apart into a stance, fighting against the fish. Reeling in his capture with his might and amazingly the line didn't snap nor did the rod as it comes close to shore.

"Heeeyaaah!" Eggman roared mightily as a large fish jump off the waters and smack onto the coastal sands.

Eggman smiled and not the insane or evil smile the hedgehog saw. What caught him more surprised was that he returned the large fish to the ocean after pulling off the hook of its mouth and no harm or tear against it. At first the hedgehog thought he was going to strangle or play the fish from its needed element and he did not. The mad scientist puffed relieved and satisfactory, setting back his folded chair upright and dusting the sand off it. He sat down on it and resumed with his fishing after placing his bait on the hook, then casts it to the waters.

The hedgehog had been confused or just plain ridiculed. Though he admitted that not everyone are what they are at what they do. After all, he is a person called a hero just as Eggman is a person called a villian. He shook his head and rather not disturb the scientist currently sitting and enjoying the simple fishing. Not too soon after, a grumbling sound of motor came from the skies. He arched his head up and saw a plane. One he used to fly and now flown by a fox he's very familiar with. The fox twirled his plane and dived through the belly of the valley's split and did a 180-turn back through it again. It flew and across the sky and the fox looked out of his cockpit to the hedgehog. The hedgehog had waved to him and the fox returned it too.

**KHRACK!**

A noise of battered wood comes from the boat where the people were. A tentacle of dark-purple lashed out and destroyed the boat's rear, the people were held by the mysterious attacker. The fox hurriedly pull away his plane from two tentacles directly gripping its wings. The mad scientist had sprung into action with his laser-pistol shot at the waving tentacles at him. Sonic had nearly any means to attack the unknowns under sea as he ducks and jumps over the whipping tentacles at him. It all happened in seconds, Eggman finished his ammunition and tried to run, Tails had tried to eject off the plane as the sea-creatures grip started to crush the plane. Sonic was on his own to save them, and his fear of water isn't helping him.

"Yeeaaagghh!" Eggman used his bare fists and slammed it relentlessly on his attacker, who's now held by the creature.

Sonic had barely the time to make a spindash straight into the creature in the water and dodging its tentacles whipping at him. Worse as Tails stuck in his plane desperately kicks his windshield and being stubborn from shattering. Then it all stopped as all the creature pulled in the helpless struggles into the waters, leaving Sonic alone on land. He can't give up and hurriedly ran back from the sand for a high jump. He made a guess from where it is and desperately ran at his sonic speed. He jumped as high with his energy left and before his foot even touches the tide of the waves. While lifted into the air, he curled himself into a ball and spin as much as he can to turn into a spiked-ball. Lightning bolts off his ball form and shot him into the waters like a drill as whirlpool swirled from the surface.

Deeper as he got into the water it was dark and darker with sight and track of the victims unconscious. Water didn't get inside his ball form but slowed him down, and the creature was swimming faster to the depths of the ocean. The hedgehog's muscle starts to strain and compress his flesh and spiking his nerve. Slower and slower as he went down at his ball form, then he couldn't take it and loses his form. He gasped and wavered, struggling for air his body electrified to too much conquest against the water. He looked down to the darkness, they weren't there. The creature and the victims too.

'_No…'_ He couldn't believe it, but he had to get out off the water before he too starts to drown.

He kicked and flapped his hands in the water, with little means to even ascent. He had little swimming experience and at this critical moment, his lungs are burning and body becoming heavily loose. Just a few more as he willingly pushed himself to get out. Eyes began to weigh heavy his lungs like on fire and muscle ice-cold while inching nearer to the surface. He looked down again, hands tugged at him and they were the hands of the victim. They pulled him down as he struggled off their hands with their blank eyes looked to him in their pale forms. His eyes widened in fear as they lashed out and drown him.

Something broke the surface of the water above him, stretching out to reach him. He felt the warm tugs to his arms. Pulling him from them easily as he looked up and could see two shadowed figures above the surface figures. Closing out to the surface, light flashed at him as he shuts his eyes once more.

* * *

><p><em>A being says to fear death,<em>

_A person says to fear will,_

_And fear said to them, "Remember me?"_

***Heavy Breathing and Inhaling*** Sonic hurriedly sat up, breathing continuously for air and he can't feel it going through his lungs or nose, driving him to panic.

"Calm down…" the bear spoke by the re-lit grey flame, "There is air, concentrate and let go what you used to feel." watching Sonic sternly as he struggled between to feel and what's there already.

He stopped inhaling and breathing and closed his eyes, pushing away the adaptive sensitive in his mind. Slowly he breathed, then inhaled and exhaled slowly and keeping himself at steady pace. He settled down calmly and refraining from feeling air itself. Then he opened his eyes, the grey flame danced and kept a warming effect to his flesh as the bear was behind it.

***Puff slowly*** "How do you even stay up like this?" ***Puff slowly*** Sonic shifted himself and sat with his legs-folded, assuring himself from waking up and pinching his temples receiving throbbing headaches.

"Once you remember it goes on, let it go and work along." the bear replied to him feeding a bundle of sticks on his hand to the grey flame.

***Wheeze*** "Right…" Sonic disregarded, "Thanks though." he would've died from self-sanity instead of losing air.

"Don't thank me, thank them." the bear pointed beside him, "They pulled you out before you lost your will." it was the same pair, the feline wolves, a mother and a daughter in their radiant forms.

"That was you two?" Sonic quizzed, remembering vaguely of the tug and shadowy figures.

The young feline girl giggled while her mother smiled and nodded with grace. She swept her hand to Tails's hair, he kicked and shuffled at his sleep. Sonic pulled the blanket over Tails as it slipped off from him. Tails stopped shuffling as Sonic pats his hands and a faint smile curved on him. He sat beside Tails, assuring him the company of his brother nearby in case he fell for the same experience Sonic went through.

"Thanks!" Sonic raised his signature thumbs-up to them, their return were a blessed smile to him.

The bear rests his closed fists below his opened palm and bowed to the two radiant feline wolves. The young feline girl hugged her mother and the two fade away like dissolved mists. Sonic looked back to Tails, he shifted again as the blanket slip low and cover his stomach. Sonic pulled it up again to his neck and gently pats his head. The bear ceased his hand gesture as the grey flame starts to die and fed the last of the resource to it.

"Tell me…" Sonic quizzed and dragged, "Weren't you the one who let them free?" the pair had been released from their symbiotic forms and it puzzled him as stories had been told or believed that spirits or ghosts, only stay when there's unfinished business or that they choose not to go beyond.

"Yes." the bear answered and scratched his palms.

"Won't that get them captured again like you said?" Sonic clarified and cupped his hand to his chin.

"Yes." the bear stated with another mystery sent to the hedgehog and cluttering his mind.

"Okay, okay. You haven't stop him, why let him go on?" pointing straight towards the source as Sonic hopes to end the cause.

"Hmm…" the bear dragged and combed his beard, "I can't find him and I needed your wills to track him as he drains you" he replied casually.

"Have you?" Sonic was certain that he had done so already and making up excuses.

"Yes." the bear repeated.

Sonic shook his head as the bear engraved him with simple answers. What caught him to suspect the bear was why them instead of his will to track 'him' and could he be the one to have dragged them into his cause with lies?

"I can stop him now, but you will be attacked again." the bear stated.

"Is that what he does? Drain our will?" Sonic played along with the bear, thinking his intentions are the opposite.

"Yes." the bear repeated.

"Why not yours?"

"He is frightened and I will take away his power if he tried." the bear explained bluntly with a casual tone.

"Are you going to keep that 'power'?" surely and obvious to Sonic of many others who wants power.

"No. It will be returned to will or it will choose." the bear exclaimed.

"Don't you want it? Why not?" Sonic bluntly tried to pin his assumed intention.

"No." the bear replied, "I've endured many struggles, and that's all the better than amongst a lot of things." he smiled and sternly applied.

"Anyway! Enough of that, can we stop him now and go home?" Sonic had enough of the bear and the grey world, hopefully it doesn't get worse than his cryptic lectures or repeated replies.

"Yes, if your friend wakes up or you wake him up." the bear answered and coincidentally Tails started to groan and wake up without being traumatized.

***Yawn*** "Morning…" Tails said with little comfort and rubbed his eyes with his mouth covered.

"Good sleep?" Sonic asked from beside Tails, no doubt a bed would do better or at least the homely ground compared to this world.

"Just a little, do we get to go home now?" Tails stretched his back and arms from stiffness and pulled the blanket off him.

"Sure thing buddy!" Sonic confidently answered and stood from the ground and dust away his legs.

"Er… how?" Tails looked to Sonic with his quizzed look.

"He'll get us out, right?" Sonic shot and pointed a finger to the bear across the dead flames and pile of crusted woods.

The bear nodded and stood as well as Tails followed along. The three walked out of the shelter, oddly a coating and welcoming effect soothes their fur and skin like daytime as they got outside from the cave. The two looked around from there and nothing had changed from what's dark or light. At the least they would rather not go for any alternatives. The bear stopped from behind them, the two turned to him and they struck their imaginations. If he was in a cave and there's darkness, the first thing to spot out were his eyes and claws like talons. They shuddered for a thought such as that, thinking him more of a predator that's stalking along the dark in ambush.

"Are you alright?" the bear spoke to them, seeing their bodies shook a little like being lightly struck.

"Yea!" Tails briskly replied, hopefully the bear hadn't thought what they thought of him.

"Ahem!" Sonic evasively sounded, "So about going home." he exclaimed and doubting his imagination's concept.

"Just head straight, you'll find a large face. Head there, I'll be there through this shortcut." the bear answered and pointed to his right to an opened but narrow passage filled along with sharp spikes protruding out its walls.

"Iron maiden's walkway… eh heh…" Tails tried to joke, the sadistic passage just engross him, thankfully thought for not going along with the bear at first.

"You sure about that?" Sonic peeked to it's end," That's gonna' leave marks on ya'." It seemed endless and harder to look for the spikes in grey along the walls.

"I wouldn't point at it otherwise." the bear stated, "Peace be upon you and will it be with you" he was about to enter and walk through it.

"Hold up!" Sonic paused him in a brisk, "You haven't told us your name." ever since they've gone along with him.

"They called me Greyver, if you wish." Greyver answered and faced to them.

"I'm Sonic the Hedgehog." Sonic introduced himself as proper introduction in late wake.

"I'm Miles 'Tails' Prower. Call me Tails though." Tails answered after Sonic.

"Very well, Sonic, Tails." Greyver closed his fists and rest it below his open palm and bowed to them.

"Peace be upon and will it be with you." and with that he rose, turned and walk along his sadistic passageway he called a shortcut.

"Well let's go bud'! Time's wasting!" Sonic smirked and headed towards the bear's suggested and safer direction.

"Yes sir!" Tails cheekily followed along as the two blasted at their favoured speed in blurs.

Along the way Tails pondered where he heard the name of the bear before. Sonic too was familiar with the name but it didn't scratch the surface of anything in his memories. Nonetheless they could see an open clearing as they pass and cross the bridge connected to another land. At their blazing speed, it looked plain but had what looks like a cactus from a desert and hills that go up then down in waves. Soon. they stopped moments later and at the highest peek of a hill after travelling a long distance in a short time. Scanning throughout the mind-indescribable scene with a difficult percept and sense of familiarity. Tails patted on Sonic's shoulder and pointed to him the 'face along the walls' from a distance as it guise along the hills. Sonic nodded and the two continued to that direction with Tails flown a little higher than him. Tails stood on track towards it and Sonic followed him along the air from ground.

"Let's slow down from here Tails! We don't know what's next or gonna' attack us." Sonic shouted to him and slowed down but still at half a sonic-speed with precaution in mind.

"Okay!" Tails followed suite and still ahead of Sonic as he lowered his altitude, clear of Sonic's precaution in mind.


	3. Rewarding Each End And Go On Enduring

**Disclaimer:- Anything of written, read or typed in this section. Do not belong to me. They are rightfully infringed and legally copyrighted by the company owners of SEGA® Such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles 'Tails' Prower and anything respectfully infringed and related to the legal company owner. I apologize if any legal rights of policy had been trespassed and I will rightfully amend it according to policies. Only the story uploaded by me, is by me aside from anything related to the copyright legal owners.**

* * *

><p><em>End one and another shall start.<em>

_This is the way of struggle for and to anything._

_Thus you endure than you should fight, such as it is it works._

_So had the many from famous till the unknown had, has and have done._

_There was no need for more, because we're poor and weak already when we fought._

"Man…" Sonic the Hedgehog quizzed, he stood and examined the structure of fantasy and illogical descriptive architecture.

It was not massive nor awesome. A scripture of an indescribable face along the walls of the valley, looked alive in which it is not. Wherever the two furred-heroes move about, it's gaped and empty eyes tingle with weird slithering snakes. It's mouth and teeth waved and rolled around like a wheel. When they come close, it became an ordinary face with gaped eyes and opened jaws for them to enter.

"It's really weird huh Sonic?" Tails the twin-tailed fox stated, finding the means to explain the illusion or animated objects from the distance.

"Tell me about it…" Sonic said to the fox, "On second thought… it's better that we don't even think about it." he assured and no doubt would have to enter into the illusive structure.

"Sonic." Tails called, "Do you think Eggman has a better style than this?" he cheekily stick his tongue out and yanked out the means to understand the abnormality.

"Please… I'll take on doc's robots and traps anytime." Sonic exclaimed with his foot tapping on the ground impatiently.

"I bet there's nothing like that in there." Tails thought aloud and cupped his chin with his white gloved hand.

"More the better to get out of here." Sonic folded his arms and scanned the grey world for a particular person.

***Sigh*** "This waiting is really… boring." he slumped his body and hands lazily.

Tails chuckled lightly and Sonic returned a quizzed-glare to him. Clearly the cunning and clever fox got something in mind as he turned away and cover up his amusement. Sonic rather not ask and come up to the fox's back sneakily with a grin to his lips. Tails brief chuckle ended when his instincts spark in him. He looked to his side where Sonic once was, his eyes shot widely and shaken along with his body. His doubts and instinct are right, as Sonic rose and snuck behind him with his hands out to him like leaping predator. Tails stiffly turned to his side, his eyes wide and trembling.

"Heh…" Tails soundlessly said.

In a surge through his entire body, he ran immediately out of his wits, sadly Sonic was the better predator and caught him. Tails struggled as Sonic had his arms wrapped around to his neck and pinned to his side. Tails knew this wrestle and tried to pry off his arm with hands of Sonic's hold.

"Whatcha' hidin' huh?" Sonic started to grind his knuckles playfully along Tails's head, he felt ticklish as his inner-child starts to bring him to laugh.

"Cut it out Sonic!" Tails retorted, "You'll get my hair messed up!" he stated as Sonic and Tails wrestle for a moment.

Until something rumbled and crackled from under the ground. The two quickly ceased and readied into their battle stance back-to-back of unknown arrival. Sonic saw a crack from his front and patted to Tails as he changed position to face the crack and stood to Sonic's side. The two watched the as the crack sounded with continuous hammering from below itself.

**CRACK! CRACK!**

The pieces scattered and opened as a hand they're familiar of stretched out and dug his claws to the surface. Soon the other rose out an object at his grasp and stabbed the surface as well. The two quickly ran to him, pulling his arms. Spikes and what seems to be vines tangled and stabbed in him. The wounds seemed critical as they pulled with their might and the heavy victim pushed himself out of the hole. The large brown figured rest by the safer ground, while the hole he had cracked through reformed and closed itself.

"You okay?" Sonic asked as the two carefully pull away the vines and spikes, out of his brown thick fur off his flesh.

"Yes…" Greyver replied, rising off the ground while the two moved away with unfinished remains still stuck to his body.

"Take it easy there." Sonic cautiously told him, remembering the deathly and deadly blows to his body, nerving down his senses as well as his abilities.

Greyver nodded for his friendly warning and showed to them the object he had in his hand. It was a shard, rough with sharp edges along and around the surface. Emitting with radiance and yellowish ooze within it.

"You needed a key." Greyver exclaimed, passing the eerie shard to them.

"It's for us to get home?" Tails awed at Greyver's cunning and secrecy during his 'shortcut' as a means to get here.

Sonic felt the gratitude towards his words in giving them the way home. They felt the swaps of being a hero to a person in need. They've been heroes and know to be heroes but not much as a person. Back at their world, they'd receive cheers, thanks and rewards. Often they receive the opposite, but yet they still fought on for them. The two looked to the bear, speechless they have become.

"Take it." Greyver said to them plainly and casually.

"What about this person you're after? We can help you." Sonic had to return the favour and owe him much for their remaining sanity.

"'He' is in there." Greyver pointed at the opening of the jaws.

The two nodded and Tails took the shard. Greyver moved on with his wounds from his toe to the back of his neck. Sonic and Tails followed to his side and return the silent gratitude back to him with their fighting abilities.

"Going home?" Greyver asked them marching towards the jaws, tunnelled with a passage.

"Yea, but you still got to stop him too right?" Sonic quizzed if the bear ever thought of getting out of this grey empty-feeling world.

"Yes." Greyver replied pulling away the vines shredding his flesh from cumbering his movement.

"After that?" Sonic added.

"Home." Greyver's return assured Sonic and Tails from his possible affected sanity from the world, the three strode onwards with a smirk on the duo's lips.

The tunnels began to expand and widen, slowly the surface around the tunnel shifted it's appearance as they kept going onwards. Soon, ooze-like and unspeakable tendrils like vines, throbbed and slither animates along the walls. At first it swooped and ascend then it dived and swallowed to the ground of their feet. The duo found it more eerier than the shard Tails had on his hand. The tunnel comes to an end of a misty grey fog as Greyver stepped through it. The two were a little held back of the mists. They gulped and swallowed their doubts and entered the mists. Their eyes clouded with mists so much, it soon turned dark and empty as though they have been drifted or blinded.

* * *

><p><em>Thou who hasten for victory or defeat,<em>

_Shall end slowly of their objective or goals._

_An action should not or can be understood or learnt,_

_Though inaudible, it had and has to be._

_Therefore deeds and intentions come with forfeit._

Soon their eyes were 'unfolded' of a scene more despairing than before. It was a large field of corpses and decayed bodies scattered all around the ground as ankle-levelled clouds shroud throughout. As before it was still grey, but hold no significance of scenery. Their eyes soon met Greyver, knelt beside a body and examining it with his hand combing his beard. The two approached to him and watched their footings away from the carcasses, assuming of an infection or anomalies.

"What's up?" Sonic gasped and coughed, a bitter and sour taste tickled his tongue and liver.

The carcass could have given off a odorous stench to them, at least it could be felt less if he had not opened or absorbed them to his mouth. Tails had felt groggy from the moment he got curious of the corpses and felt the odour took effect in his nose. Greyver pried the fingers of the corpse and took what it held.

"Home's that way." he pointed them towards the orbiting yellow lights along the mists, hopping and floating to an unnamed direction.

Greyver stood and cramped his palms together as particular amount of substances fell out from his hands. Tiny orbits of teal lights scattered and vanquished the surrounding mists. The view became clear and more bodies are revealed. Though a proportioned amount of carcasses, crowd towards the opposite of the duo's way home. He left the duo silently and headed towards the horrifying casualties.

"Hey!" Sonic shouted him and Greyver paused, "Think you can hand 'him' down on your own?" Sonic clarified, believing that whomever he'd face could be as much dangerous than the mad tyrant or a water-like creature.

"Nope." Greyver bluntly replied as he faced them sternly.

"We'll help you, okay?" Tails joined in the fray with Sonic and raised a thumb-up to him.

Greyver grinned lightly and returned the same gesture. He turned his back to them and walked on, however for a brief pace.

"Spread!" He shouted warningly and rolled away heavily of his body to the side.

The duo reacted faster than him and split away from the oncoming thin-tidal wave, striking across the plains. Greyver shuffled to recover as the two quickly defend to his side. A figure jitters and slowly made its way to them.

"Fiiiigggghhhhhtttt~" it groaned to them, a voice shallow and despairing.

Bones clearly seen in its bulked unfit-chest armour clad along the thin animated figure with a rusted dagger grasped within it's thin fingers. It rose its dagger to the side, Sonic knew it's sluggish but projective attempt. He made a pre-emptive strike quickly before unleashing its second attack.

**CRACK!**

His kick lunched straight for its jaw as several of its joints clatter and slug back weightlessly across. He smirked confidently and easily took it down. Jitters and clatters of bones re-animated the skeleton once more and rose with a strike unleashed horizontally. Thin-tidal emerged and waved across towards them ragingly. Sonic was the closest and quickly prone to the ground from nearby death. Tails had flown to the skies leaving only Greyver to the ground. Greyver swiped evenly against the tide and it scattered away but chipped his flesh, hand and claws severely.

"Diiiieeee~" groaned the skeleton, already nearby Sonic's prone position with its dagger held vertically to down to him.

Tails dived into his defence and whacked away its dagger with his trained twin-tails. Sonic quickly sweep his legs across the skeleton's hip. It quivered and slugged to the side and Tails smashed it's head with a hard backhand. The head snapped off its torso and whirled sluggishly back away from them. Sonic rose and recover quickly to his battle stance with Tails taking the air again. The fight didn't end, the dismembered head floated and recovered to its original body along with the dagger to its hand.

"Fffiiiigggghhhtt~" the skeleton groaned with its slumped head and arms waving lazily, walking to them.

"This guy doesn't give up." Sonic felt the drain of his will and energy drained just fighting the fragile skeleton.

"Sonic, its draining our energy." Tails had to descend to the ground, similarly from being drained and reserving thoughtfully on his energy.

The skeleton jagged its way to them, their energy and will sipped away by it. Greyver rammed and grabbed straight to the skeleton's side with its pieces disjointed off, leaving only the torso with an armour. Greyver stopped and threw the armour to the ground as the torso shatters and split away from the armour. The heroes had their energy restored briefly, until the remains began to reanimate and slowly trudge its way back to the armour.

"The armour." Tails watched as the pieces fall back into place in and to the armour and reanimate the skeleton to full with the last piece, the dagger returned as the final.

"Greyver!" Sonic called to him, "Break the armour!" he yelled, Greyver turned to face it again.

"Sonic, let's use its dagger against the armour." Tails received a nod from Sonic.

"Got it buddy, I'll keep him busy with Greyver and me." Sonic exclaimed and the two returned to fight the animated skeleton.

It had become less sluggish and more flexible as it took a battle stance with its dagger. Sonic took the first strike with a jump and elbow sweep to the jaw. As fast as he could be the skeleton countered with a lean to the side and nearly took the stab if it weren't for Greyver's low swipe below him. The dagger clashed against his claws and Sonic safely landed to recover quickly behind the skeleton. Greyver grasped tightly the blade of the dagger and slipped its grip's end back from its hold, while dragging the blade high within the skeleton's grasp and his other arm slung and pin sternly to the skeleton's neck.

"Tails!" Sonic called out, Tails received the signal and swoop down for the grip of the dagger.

"I got it!" Tails pulled the dagger of the two strugglers, Greyver received the cut but continued to it pin it down.

**YEEAAAIIIIKKKK!**

The skeleton shrieked furiously and bite its teeth into Greyver's arm by its neck. Greyver remained stern and held its other arm from piercing into his chest. Sonic climbed to its shoulders and pried with his might off its teeth on Greyver's arm. Tails had the dagger and waited by the air to strike safely as the two were too close by the skeleton's armour.

"Get the legs." Greyver retorted vigorously as the teeth sunk in ravenously into his flesh while slowly losing his grip against the other hand.

Sonic hoped off its shoulder and delivered a dismembering blow to the lower portions. It scattered but did not stop as Greyver released his hold and it stabbed its fingers into his chest while Sonic backed away. Greyver raised his free hand and shattered its stabbing arm, quickly he grabbed the armour's edge. He raised his arms with the skeleton and armour to the air above him, his flesh nearly torn like cloth and struggling from being apart of him.

"Hang on Greyver!" Tails wasted no time at the given opportunity, diving with the dagger held vertically within his two clasped hands towards the armour.

With a loud shred through the armour, the dagger embed itself deeper till it reaches the other side. Tails tried to pull it before it pierces into Greyver's bridged-muzzle. It shocked and threw Tails away. Sonic reacted quickly before Tails's descent, ran and caught him.

"You okay Tails?" Sonic slide to a stop and set Tails down and recovered quickly from the shock.

"Yea!" Tails briskly replied, "I couldn't pull the dagger Sonic!" he panicked and took a few jog before he stumbled sloppily and felt the minor burn surging from his arm.

"I'll get it!" Sonic charged and dashed for the dagger as it dug and carved to the side of Greyver's muzzle.

The dagger started to surge again, sending Sonic off his ground and knocked back to Tails's side. The dagger stopped digging down, remaining there as the skeleton's teeth unlatch and shriek menacingly. Sparks started to volt around the armour, rusting it and slowly chipping away along with the dagger like dusts. The skeleton soon ceased abruptly and becomes inanimate. Greyver threw its remains away and stumbled as he knelt. The two quickly got up and run to him as he struggled to pull out the five fingers off his chest.

"Come on Greyver!" Sonic helped him out as did Tails pulling three fingers off his chest with the last two from Greyver's own strength.

"We'll get you home." Tails covered his nearly-torn flesh and supported him as Sonic supported from the other side.

Greyver pulled himself up, but his torn arm had to be supported by Tails and his aching sides from stretching at his stabbed chest. Sonic managed carefully from any further stretches and supported his arms and side. Greyver's large size and body compared to theirs had them stumbling, struggling to keep him up with the yellow orbiting lights guiding them helpfully.

"Almost there." Sonic could see a portal the yellow orbits floated to, Tails pulled out the shard given from Greyver.

The yellow orbits fades away, letting the three freely pass as the grey world shattered with crackles and roars like parting and broken glass. They threaded onwards, ignoring as the clash of the world destroys itself. The portal was touched and the three were pulled rudely into the portal. At that moment, all became blank as the portal shuts itself close sending the three through the sick-torturous warp home.

* * *

><p><em>Complete one and hope for a moments rest.<em>

_Struggle doesn't end even although it seemed so._

_Know this, so that you will to endure and at last you did so gratuitously._

_At last, you begin to let go and carry on to fight the struggles._

**Whoooossshhhh…**

A chilling-low humming howl spurred Sonic and Tails awake. The ground was earthly, their hands pushed against them to rise to their feet. It was the world they knew home, the colours and no other nonsensical fantasy from someone's dead trapped-will. Their eyes caught the radiance from their front, the feline green wolves met them again, they swift and phase through them like smoke. The two turned and they were gone, hearing their final blesses of cheers and joy.

"We're home right?" Tails quizzed, shaking his head and hoping to ever forget the pummelling warp.

"Guess so…" Sonic looked around, knowing the forest already and oddly time did not seem to pass as it's still morning.

"Sonic!" Tails called to him, "Over there!" Greyver had rested by the uncomfortable-wet rock supporting his back.

"Tails see what you can do to the wounds, I'll get the med kit." Sonic nearly dashed off before Tails had stopped him and gave his tracking device to his plane briskly.

"Get the Chaos Emerald too!" Tails briskly said, Sonic dashed through the walls of the forests with little heed of the trail he left behind.

Tails turned to Greyver, his flesh was nearly torn off, holes and gaps scar across and were several on his body. No blood pour off his wounds, but the flesh throbbed alive. Tails is no doctor and hopelessly he had to push the torn-bitten arm back to place. His flesh is dead, it felt cold but yet alive. All he can do for now is hope for Sonic's breakneck return.

Elsewhere as Sonic blazed through the barks of the forest, a familiar rival saw him along the way and chose to intercept him. Sonic briskly gaze at the tracker, still leading towards the right direction as he slides below a stubborn log. Another person of his speed caught up to him, Sonic couldn't take a moments peek and revved up his legs into an infinity-loop. The rival was left far behind, quizzed of Sonic as he enclose the gap towards the biplane. He'd admire the biplane were it not for Greyver's condition. Sonic jumped to one of the biplane's seat and pulled out the med kit below the seat itself. Unfortunately he had to be delayed as his rival warped his way here.

"Sonic." a dark but familiar voice of his rival called to him, "You need to he-"

"No time Shadow, gotta' blast!" Sonic briskly cut with a quivering friendly tone as he pulled open the engine's hull and swipe the Chaos Emerald.

"Later!" he dashed as soon as the Chaos Emerald and med kit were firmly held for another pass back.

"Wait!" Shadow called too late as Sonic left with a much shocking trail behind.

"What is going on…?" Shadow quizzed, rarely seeing his rival at such a busy moment than his laid-back self.

Shadow followed suite of Sonic's trail of fire left behind, he had to admit that the hedgehog either had a large training schedule or something had happened to him. Either way, he had to apply Sonic for a mission and coincidentally just upon the two's return home. Upon return in a minute, Sonic had arrived and stopped right by Greyver and left the Chaos Emerald and med kit to Tails side.

"How's he?" Sonic asked, clearly his conditioned hadn't changed.

"I don't know, let's just patch him up and warp our way to the hospital." Tails began to scramble the med kit, passing Sonic a roll of bandage as Tails took a disinfect.

By now Shadow had arrived and interrupted the two, he could see someone other than the two. Before Tails could apply the medicine, Greyver twitched and growled lowly. Shadow waited beside them, lending them assistance where possible.

"You awake?" Sonic noticed Greyver's stubbornness to his wounds.

"Yes…" Greyver replied, "My work's not done yet." he pulled himself and off his back.

"Whoa!" Tails startled of Greyver's uproar, nearly slipping the disinfect.

"You're in bad shape, you should rest and recover." Shadow sternly said to Greyver, seeing his flesh slip to a side and engrossing any average mind if he were in public.

"Yes. Not here, somewhere else." Greyver answered calmly and stood firmly but stiffly as his flesh-torn arm were of no use for now.

"I think not, Let's just apply you a few of these." Sonic retorted firmly and stood at his way.

"Indeed." Greyver replied and waited where he stood with his arm and hand to Sonic and Tails.

"The rest?" Shadow asked and noticed the bear isn't a Mobian citizen.

"Mend these, the rest have little use." Greyver clarified as Sonic and Tails had hastily applied bandages and disinfect on his arm and hand.

As soon as the two were done with arm and hand, Greyver paused them from his other wounds.

"You need to go." Greyver said to them.

"Why?" Sonic quizzed, finding his returning gratitude rude.

The forest shuffled and howled, rumbling and roaring noises echo above them as it becomes louder of something's approach. Four of them watched the skies as the sounds becomes violent and threatening.

**BANG!**

A shot was fired directly to Greyver's knee and nearly dropped him to the ground. Just after that, a mass flock of helicopters surrounded them, armed with weapons and mans aiming their guns at him.

"Freeze!" A loud voice boomed from a microphone on one of the copters.

"Surrender or we will shoot you!" he warned, while the copters coordinated carefully around them.

"What's going on? Hey it's us!" Sonic waved to them.

"Step away from the bear!" the commander said to them.

"Do it." Greyver insisted, the three looked to the bear quizzed, as he pulled a thumbs-up.

"Keep fighting Greyver." Sonic said to him and returned the gesture back to him along a confident grin.

"Peace be upon and will it be with you." Greyver briskly returned, Sonic stepped back into the bush as the two followed Sonic's lead with doubts.

"Commence fire!" the commander roared, too slow as Greyver had dashed for the cliff's edge.

Sprays of bullet shot through and pierced his lower torso, Greyver pressed on and jumped for his life to the sea from the cliff. Four copters were already to his front and faced at him.

"Missile fire!" the pilot pulled the trigger and the rockets send themselves across to him, hitting around and about the cliff with smokes and flames scorching and blasting around him.

"Did we get him?" the man in one of the copter quizzed as the rock scattered and fall with no sight of Greyver amongst the smokes or with them.

The flock swarmed around the sea, scanning for his appearance to resurface along the water. While the three rose out from cover looked along the cliff's edge. Soon, one of the copters was too close among the smoke, Greyver ambushed and rammed straight at the copter's gunner. Sending him thrown out of the copter unharmed and fall to the sea as he threatens the pilot with his chipped claws at his neck.

"Go and head east." Greyver had the pilot forced into his action, turning away from the swarm too busy looking the sea.

"Hey!" the gunner yelled and waved to them, pointing to the copter he had fallen off.

"Follow and hold your fire!" the commander roared and the mass followed Greyver while one of the copter hastily brought the fallen gunner aboard it.

They soon depart and disappeared along with the mass, leaving the three to the cliff. Sonic and Tails traced and tagged the direction of their trail.

"Let's go and get the plane Tails." Sonic told to Tails and returned with a brisk nod.

"Wait." Shadow retorted and stood in their way.

"Come on Shadow, help us out." Tails said.

"Don't." Shadow started, "He'll be fine." he exclaimed.

"The doctor sends his thanks to you and says he'll hold off on conquering the world for a week." Shadow added.

"What…?" Sonic quizzed with his jaws slanted.

"I don't know faker. Just talk to the doctor if you're curious." Shadow snapped his fingers after his message and warped far away from them.

The two stood there quizzed at the instant brief action, first the grey world, then the bear and now the doctor. Their heads aches from trying to puzzle it up, they were guided here or were they guiding Dr. Eggman into their trap and he guided them from there? Nonetheless, the two had to call it a day and grabbed their med kit and Chaos Emerald, walking back to the biplane instead of running.

"Sonic…" Tails called to him, "You don't think Eggman tricked us into actually-"

"Urgh…" Sonic interrupted, "Let's just forget about it and head home." exhausted and tired of all the effort they've gone through seeming unnecessarily.

"Okay… at least we get a break for one week." Tails cheekily implied.

"Yea… Man… What have we got into this time?" Sonic grunted despairingly.

"Doesn't matter, we're still fighting for good. Right Sonic?" Tails said to him with a fist held up in the air.

Sonic paused, then he swung unexpectedly his arm around Tails neck into a wrestle and grinds his knuckle to his head again.

"Sonic!" Tails retorted, "Your mean and terrible!" he cheekily exclaimed while prying Sonic's arms off his neck.

"Hah! Who care's what anyone's gonna' say, I'm Sonic the hedgehog!" Sonic released him as Tails dizzied and stumbled back lightly.

"I'll pick myself up and go on fighting!" Sonic stick his tongue out to him and blazed off.

Tails shrugged, smiled and ran after him. This is the Sonic he admired, fighting on even though others could do better. He was and is still the hedgehog that kept running and smile, one that could brings himself to stand even if he fell and do for the better.

* * *

><p><em>It's not the last should you fall or rise,<em>

_It will become it only if you forfeit,_

_Others will implore the better but show lack or tire of commitment._

_Hence we learn where and when we fall and rose over again,_

_Says the struggle and the fight itself._

_Fight on Sonic!_

_Fight on Sega!_


End file.
